Tempest of Passion Read Online Free Page B

You’ve certainly found a way to spoil mine,” she
murmured the last bit under her breath.
    William took in a shaky breath as she turned on her heel and made
her way to her front door. He made sure she was safely inside
before beginning his journey toward his own home, grinning and
looking forward to Saturday evening.

Chapter Four
    Emily tried
to keep her gaze from wandering across the packed room. Had he
arrived? Had he decided not to attend , after all? A rather strange sense of
disappointment wound its way into her and she frowned at the
unwelcome feeling. She should not feel any sort of sadness that Mr.
Dalton had chosen not to come.
    Emily gazed at the
dancers about the room, following their effortless moves,
mesmerized as gazes and pleasantries were exchanged. Dancing was
not merely an activity, like gardening…it was much more. It brought
about flirtation, and that in turn could result in the most
undesirable event she could think of: marriage. Emily shuddered.
Forcing her eyes away from the swirl of moving couples, she
observed her mother, who sat nearby, animatedly chatting with her
aunt. That was what her mother desired for her: a good marriage, to
a well-off man. It was no secret in the Bunsbury household that
Emily’s parents were quite eager to be rid of her, even if they did
love her.
    Emily smiled at her cousin as
she skipped by with Mr. Brunswick. The foolish girl had tried on
several occasions for them to become closer acquainted, but their
speech had not progressed further than a comment on the current
weather. Brunswick only had eyes for Elisa … thank goodness for
that.
    Balderdash. Snapping her fan open, she fluttered it across her face and
scanned the room for any sign of him. He was nowhere to be seen.
Her heart fluttered, whether in dismay or gaiety she wasn’t
certain.
    William
Dalton , it
seemed, had a tendency to appear in the least likely places.
Throughout the week he’d surprised her in town more than once. If
they didn’t meet each other by chance, then the stubbornly
tenacious fool would call on her at home, much to her mother’s
delight. Of course, she would reject his advances, every single
day. Yet, he returned undaunted, with a smile on his lips and a
roguish glint in his eyes. Eventually, she was forced to speak to
him, for otherwise he would sit in her presence, merely content to
watch her. It was almost as if he knew he had an effect on her and
was biding his time until she admitted it.
    Emily pressed
her lips together. That would never happen. She had learned her lesson well
with men like him, many years ago. They had no interest for a woman
with brains and wit. If they chose to marry, it was because they
wanted some slaving ninnyhammer, who would give them heirs and take
care of a household … nothing more. Wives were little more than an
extension of the household, and that was not the future Emily
wanted. Other women did, of course, and she’d gladly leave men like
William Dalton to them.
    Had they met ten years
ago, she might have fallen prey to his advances with the same
nervous jitters and eagerness that her cousin Elisa was exhibiting
with Brunswick, but today she cared little for such matters. She
desired freedom and no man could give her that. What’s more, even
if her mother still hoped that she could capture a suitable
husband, she was long past marrying age. Emily was more than happy
to go live with her elder sister and watch over her nieces and
nephews, if her parents tired of her.
    But that’s
not what you truly want.
    Emily toyed with the lace
trim at the top of her gloves, as the little voice in her head
rebuked her and the disturbing dream she’d had the previous night
swam before her. She’d been with Mr. Dalton. They’d stood in
silence atop a moonlit hill, gazing into each other’s eyes. Gently,
tenderly, he’d cupped her cheek and she’d leaned into his warmth
instinctively.
    “ I fail to understand why men
are not lining up to request your hand